The garden was due to be opened in 2020 & 2022 to raise funds for the National Garden’s Scheme. Sadly this was not to be. However in 2020 we produced a video about the garden which at at Feb 2025 has been viewed 6,300 times. It may be seen by following this link Watlington House, Reading; a garden for the future with a link to the past – National Garden Scheme (ngs.org.uk)
We are plagued with Box Moth. The box hedging at the front has been removed but we heavily pruned the hedges at the back in 2023 and they did come back in 2024. We persist with it for another year.
The house and the garden opened for Heritage Open Days in September 2023 for the first time since 2019.
The garden continues to evolve
During January 2025 we had to remove a huge sycamore Tree from the rear garden. A self seeded weed it was threatening our Grade II Wall. It also was a nightmare for our neighbours at No 10 The Grove to live with, overshadowing their house and with seeds sprouting in their garden
Below the garden during summer 2021
Mortimer Sackler Rose May 2022
